SEATTLE (July 31, 2015) — Organizers of an anniversary celebration rally for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid planned for Saturday, Aug. 8 in downtown Seattle announced today that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has accepted an invitation to attend and speak at the event. “We are very excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare and […]

Friday, July 31, 2015 LOCAL ► From AP — $15 minimum wage a surprising success for Seattle restaurant — Menu prices are up 21 percent and you don’t have to tip at Ivar’s Salmon House on Seattle’s Lake Union after the restaurant decided to institute the city’s $15-an-hour minimum wage two years ahead […]

By DAVID GROVES The Stand FEDERAL WAY (July 31, 2015) — Big corporations based in Washington state — from Alaska Air to Liberty Mutual to T-Mobile — are running an aggressive, dishonest campaign to unseat state Rep. Carol Gregory (D-Federal Way) in this fall’s special election, prompting the question: what are they so afraid of? […]

By STAN SORSCHER (July 30, 2015) — In 2002, I heard an economist characterizing this figure as containing a valuable economic insight. He wasn’t sure what the insight was. I have my own answer. The economist talked of the figure as a sort of treasure map, which would lead us to the insight. “X” marks […]

Thursday, July 30, 2015 BOEING ► In today’s (Everett) Herald — McNerney says without Ex-Im Bank, Boeing work could move overseas — Boeing Co. Chairman Jim McNerney rattled his saber again Wednesday, suggesting the airplane maker would ship work overseas if Congress does not reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. He said that Boeing is […]

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 STATE GOVERNMENT ► In today’s Olympian — Bypassing Legislature, Inslee turns to executive action on climate change — Gov. Jay Inslee told his administration to develop a cap on emissions of greenhouse gases so Washington can meet its commitment to cut 1990-level emissions in half by 2050. But he […]

The following is from the Washington Building and Construction Trades Council: OLYMPIA (July 29, 2015) — The Washington Building and Construction Trades Council (WBCTC) has officially endorsed the proposed Vancouver Energy terminal at the Port of Vancouver USA and is supporting efforts to seek timely regulatory approval so construction can begin. The WBCTC has nine […]

By JOHN BURBANK (July 29, 2015) — It didn’t take long before the Legislature stopped its crowing about how it funded K-12 education and admitted that it was far from the mandates of the State Supreme Court for basic education. How is that? It starts with Stephanie and Matthew McCleary, parents of two public school […]

Tuesday, July 28, 2015 LOCAL ► From IAM 751 — Machinists at NAS Whidbey ratify 4-year agreement — Machinists Union members who work as civilian contractors at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station have won wage and pension increases with a new collective bargaining agreement. The four-year agreement with URS Corp. covers about 140 […]

The following, written by Charlie Fanning, is from AFL-CIO Now: WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 28, 2015) — On Monday, the Obama administration made the deplorable decision to upgrade Malaysia — a major player in the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement — on its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. This clearly political decision undermines […]